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Happy National Crochet Month from CGOA President, Susan Sullivan

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

As the new President of the CGOA Board, I want to share a little of my background and why crochet is important to me.

I’ve always been passionate about handwork. Needlepoint,
embroidery, and sewing were early interests. My mother-in-law taught me how to
crochet not long after I married into the Sullivan family. I still use my Boye
crochet hooks from the set I bought at Wal-mart in Berryville, Arkansas in
1973! That Christmas, everyone on my list (well, the gals), received a shawl
made from a pattern in Family Circle magazine with Dazzleaire yarn. I continued
honing my skills on baby afghans for family and friends and like most crocheters
I gave almost everything away but here is the first afghan I ever made. It is a
pattern from a Columbia-Minerva book, Teach
Yourself to Crochet, and as you can see it was made in those 70s signature
colors; avocado, harvest gold, and orange. I was so intrigued by the square
turned on point inside the circle, inside the outer square!

I was majoring in art in college and as I explored new art
forms, crochet patiently waited for me to return. The pottery studio became my
new home and consumed all of my creative energy.

Fast forward to 1988 and it was time for this mother of a one-year-old son to go back to work. I joined Leisure Arts as a technical writer
for surface stitchery and crafts. In
1995, I took over as managing editor of all crochet and knit publications with
17 technical editors for the various leaftlets, books, and one crochet magazine. Over the next 19
years, while I was still involved in all of the other categories, crochet was
my favorite. The most treasured part of my job was working with designers across the industry. I soon realized how much I loved dreaming and planning with these amazingly talented women and men to
bring great designs to life.

In 2014, due to changes in the company, I found myself contemplating my next adventure and am excited to be continuing in the industry I love. I've formed my own consulting firm and am humbled by the opportunities before me. I count being on and leading the board of CGOA as one of those opportunities for which I am very grateful.

While CGOA offers so many fun and educational programs to its members, I think it's so very important to recognize the role it plays in providing crochet designers a platform to further their professional goals. The Crochet Professional and Crochet Associate Professional recognition programs are unique in our industry. There are significant qualification requirements to receive these titles which helps the designer grow and strengthens the level of professionalism in the industry. In my previous role in publishing, the CGOA conferences allowed me to meet with numerous designers under one roof. This is good for the publisher as well as budding and seasoned designers.

Whether you are new to crochet and just want to make your first baby afghan, dreaming of your name on your first book, or have been in the "biz" for decades...

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CGOA Now! is the place to find book reviews, the latest news and information about CGOA, and general items of interest from the crochet community. The content of the blog is overseen by the Board of Directors and Chain Link editor Kim Guzman.